Creative Arts & Design Success Stories

The faculty-led international trip afforded students and faculty a unique opportunity to experience remarkable art and design projects from leading design teams of established creators to recent graduate work from renowned design academies from across Europe. Beyond the obvious inspiration these works evoke, there was a myriad of benefits to this initiative for both faculty and students.

The creative work showcased dealt with a range of issues and variables that impact and shape contemporary art and design. These emerging and present issues go beyond the traditional considerations of form and function, such as use and influence of AI, accessibility, inter-disciplinary collaboration, social design, and sustainability. These issues helped shape much of the work displayed at DDW and underscored the importance of these developments in design and art. Far from hindering the creative process, these variables allowed for further innovation amongst designers and artists.

Students and faculty were able to view the works in person, including speaking directly to the creators about how these variables were parsed out in the creative process. Many of the works of art and design exhibited highlighted the need for expertise in one’s area, balanced by the ability of all artists and designers to work collaboratively together.

As faculty, I was struck by the absence of barriers between the fields of art and design. In the Netherlands, and across Europe, the lines that delineate the boundaries between these two disciplines are blurred. Strong art contains great design, and vice versa, strong design contains great art. Many of these creative works exhibited at DDW 2024 were done in unison between artists and designers, and in some instances, incorporating the work of engineers and scientists. This confirms the importance of and re-affirms the aims of Humber Polytechnic for more robust collaboration: between programs within FMCAD, between faculties at the college, and the institution and international, education partners such as Fontys.

After touring through the various areas of Eindhoven that housed these projects, from design studios to fully immersive, art installations, students were well grounded in the terrain of contemporary art and design and its demands. The students’ experience of DDW culminated in a collaborative brain-storming session with students and faculty from Fontys Interactive Design program. The focus of the session revolved around the use of AI – the ways artists and designers can leverage this tool, while retaining one’s autonomy and creativity.

I encourage faculty and students within FMCAD to partake in this wonderful opportunity to attend DDW and collaborate on interdisciplinary projects that confront issues of accessibility, AI use, and sustainability that will shape our future designs.

Marc Colangelo is the Program Coordinator and Faculty member of the Visual & Digital Arts and Art Foundation programs. Click here for more on Faculty-led International Trips.

From Monday, November 23, 2020, to Friday, January 29, 2021, the Faculty of Media & Creative Arts is hosting one-hour virtual information sessions at various times. Connect with our professors to hear how you'll get hands-on experience through Live Labs, performances, and ongoing work-integrated learning, and learn the industry-specific business skills needed wherever your career and your story take you. Your professional future starts here.

Find your session.

She spoke to Humber Today about her work, what it's like to collaborate with the Duffer Brothers, and how she went from Humber Film to Hollywood sound editor. Read her full interview.

Humber is the only participating postsecondary institution and the five projects--available for online viewing for 12 hours starting at 7 pm--are the most by any participating institution.

Learn more about Nuit Blanche Toronto 2020, or find out more about the Humber-sponsored projects, including a short film by students in the College's Indigenous Transmedia Fellowship and a composition by a Bachelor of Music graduate.

Michelle Doyle and Cathrin Hagey, graduates of the creative writing program, were recently named to the CBC Nonfiction Prize longlist. Doyle was nominated for "The Intensive," an excerpt from her recently completed memoir about identity and personal development, and Hagey was nominated for "The Fringe," an essay about a difficult moment in her childhood.

Postgraduate journalism alumni Lucy Lau and Harmony Multani are nominated for the People's Choice Award at the Los Angeles Lift-Off Film Festival for their short film, Pearl Under Pressure: The Impact of Violence Against Children in Uganda. The film, which documents the work of the The Denmark Uganda Vietnam Exchange (DUVE), was shot over a week in January 2020 as part of an international learning opportunity through Humber College. Read more about the film and Lau and Multani's experience in Uganda.

Fadi was recently featured in The Focus Magazine for his team's work on the dramatic scene where Brad Pitt's character plummets 80,000 feet to Earth from an antenna that extends outside the planet's atmosphere.

We caught up with Fadi to find out more about what he does and how Humber helped him get there.

What is your current job title and what does that mean on a daily basis?

My current job title is "Tracking and Layout Department Lead" at Mr.X Inc in Toronto, Ontario. The tasks I perform in a day can vary, so here are some of the things that I do:

Lead - I oversee a team of 8 others on a daily basis as part of my duties as lead. I work with them to address any issues or concerns they have, as well as just general supervision, support, and direction.

New Show Setup – I work with the technical leads in the studio to set up new shows. I help ingest the data that’s been given to us by clients and set up the foundation required for each show so they’re ready for our artists to work with. This includes things like dictating render resolutions, color spaces, and software templates.

Interviews – I conduct interviews alongside my manager to scout for potential new hires in the Toronto tracking and layout department.

General Troubleshooting – I work alongside all the artists in my department to help them with any issues they may have. This can be related to the specific shot/show that they’re working on, or it could be one of our proprietary tools that needs bug fixes.

Pipeline Overseeing – I manage and oversee the pipeline for the Tracking and Layout department across all 3 locations. The "pipeline" is the technical term for the proprietary toolsets that allow for the transfer of data from one department to the other. I discuss, oversee and approve any development that affects the data coming into or going out of the tracking and layout team.

Training – Having worked with a team to pioneer the current training system in place for Tracking and Layout, I still oversee the training to this day. New hires for Toronto are seated next to me and get 1-on-1 time as they are introduced to the tools and workflow. Once they’re at a comfortable level, we put them into production. During this phase, they continue to sit next to me so I can oversee their work and troubleshoot any hiccups they may experience.

Shot Work – If there’s nothing from the above list on my plate for that day, I work on individual shots alongside my team.

What was your career path to get where you are now?

My career path after leaving Humber has been fairly single track. I was hired at Mr. X while still in my third year and have been here ever since. I was brought in as an "Entry Level Tracking Artist". Over the years, I was presented with more responsibility and higher-level tasks as my skillset, knowledge, and experience grew.

In the fall of 2017, I worked with my supervisors to restructure and establish an entirely updated training program for new hires in our department. This training has been widely successful. Over 10 artists have gone through it since and almost all are now at a senior level.

In the spring of 2018, I was given the opportunity to travel to India. We opened a branch in Bangalore and I was sent there to train the staff of the tracking and layout department in our proprietary toolsets and workflows. I held live demos, recorded hours of video training documentation, established personal connections and rapport with the individual artists, and continued communication with them afterwards, overseeing their work and progress.

In the fall of 2019, the position for department lead became available and I was presented with the promotion. I’ve been in that role since.

How did your time at Humber prepare you for what you’re doing now?

Humber did a fantastic job of preparation me for my career.

The education I received allowed me to build a portfolio that helped me acquire the position in the first place.

The outreach to former students and industry professionals prepared me by helping set up an in-depth network of resources and contacts. This helped me understand the importance of communication and references. It was a Humber grad I met through this networking that recommended me for the position at Mr. X, helping me secure the job.

Studio tours and guest speakers hosted by the professors gave me insider knowledge about the workings of the industry, and supported everything the instructors were telling us. Humber also helped prepare me with useful pointers on how to set up my demo reel, website, and resume to stand out more than other applicants.

Find out more about Fadi Sara on IMDB and read the articles where he and his team were featured: 

https://www.thefocus.com/news/ad-astra-fall-brad-pitt-mr-x-fall-from-space

https://www.thefocus.com/news/ad-astra-brad-pitt-fall-mr-x-visually-chaotic

What are you doing now and what was your career path to get here?

After gaining valuable experience in all facets of film work, I decided to specialize in Screenwriting and, a few years after graduating, found myself writing and directing my first feature film "Brewster McGee" which was shot on 16mm black and white film. Over the next several years, I continued my filmmaking journey here in Vancouver with my documentary short "Broken Palace" as well as my most recent feature film "A Legacy of Whining" (which I also acted in). I have just completed (along with my Producer/wife Maria) our new documentary "European Tour '73".

Tell us some of your favourite Humber memories.

The memories that I cherish most from my time at Humber are of the many great friendships that I made with my fellow Humber film students and the amazing (and sometimes nerve wracking) moments we spent getting our film projects across the finish line in time!

Also, upon arriving at Humber College, I immediately found the offices of the campus newspaper "The Humber Voice" and became the film critic for the paper for the next three years. This allowed me to received a press pass to cover the Toronto International Film Festival which was enormously exciting ("Hey! Is that Roger Ebert getting on the elevator...!).

How did Humber help you get where you are now?

I think the best thing about studying film at Humber College was how well it prepared me for real life in the film world. Just like in the film business, we had to learn how to exist and get along within a group of fellow crew members and be able to respect and listen to each other's creative ideas and to balance and be productive amongst all the different personalities and viewpoints involved. Also, the course's expectation of having us learn all the different functions and duties in the film world gave us a very well-rounded and valuable opportunity for some incredible hands-on learning.

Share a tip for upcoming filmmakers.

I think it's important for potential filmmakers to get a solid understanding of their craft - whether it's going to film school or learning online or especially going to as many movies as possible - that's key. When I went to Humber, I used to jump on a bus downtown almost everyday after class and see as many movies as I could (they used to have a collection of very cool repertory movie houses that featured amazing film titles from North America and around the world!).

Also, I think it shouldn't be overlooked just how important it is for filmmakers to get out and meet as many like-minded individuals as possible (yes, that dreaded word "networking"!). Making a film is a social experiment at all times and you will need as many people pulling in the same direction as you as possible. Get out of your comfort zone and start being part of your chosen community! Help other filmmakers on their sets, support other filmmakers and creatives - the love will make its way back to you!

Watch the trailers for Ross's films "A Legacy of Whining" and "European Tour '73".

Back in his third year at Humber, Steve made a case for a business which, he happily reports, has been his full time job for nearly 5 years. He told us a bit about the business and how Humber helped him make it a reality.

What are you currently working on and what was your career path to get there?

In 2014, I started a YouTube channel called the Samurai Guitarist. Since then I have built a following of 500k followers with over 54 million views. I've branched out to doing sponsored deals, merchandising, an online guitar course and a number of other things that have built a comfortable and fulfilling life in music. I've traveled the world because of this and can't go into a guitar store without being recognized (this is still weird for me).

What other projects have you worked on since leaving Humber?

A failed country band.

How did your time at Humber prepare you for what you’re doing now?

It was very beneficial, many of the skills I learned at school I still use on a regular basis. From working in the studio to my music business class with Andy Scott, there is very little I learned that I don’t use regularly. 

Photo credit: Jenny Marrin

Keisha graduated from Humber's Film & Media Production Program in 2018 and we caught up with her to find out more about the project.

Your work is prominently displayed at Dundas station in Toronto. Tell us more.

This is the end result of a year-long artist residency with VIBE Arts and RBC called "Desire Lines". VIBE is a non-profit organization delivering free arts education workshops to marginalized youth across the GTA, and as one of the emerging artists on the roster I was incredibly happy to be a part of this project. I produced a short film, the stills of which are being displayed alongside my headshot and poster on the TTC Pattison panels for one month in Dundas station.

Along with that, I am currently working on my next short film, which is being produced through another program at VIBE. I am an artist in the NExT program, which is a mentorship opportunity specifically for young, Black artists. I will be filming my project next month, which will then be exhibited at a gallery with an opening reception sometime in March.

What other projects have you worked on since leaving Humber?

I produced a short documentary/proof of concept for a future, longer film; I applied for and received a grant from ArtReach for a project I will be running this summer involving workshops and a gallery; and in general have been planning my next film projects.

I also work as a freelancer, so I have continued to do freelance editing and filming since graduation, as well as working as a contract facilitator at some non-profits in the city, as I am passionate about working with and mentoring youth through arts education opportunities.

How did your time at Humber prepare you for what you’re doing now?

I made some of my closest friends while at Humber, and I still work with my crew today. It feels good to be able to collaborate with each other outside of the school setting, and it's great when I'm able to pick who I want to work with.

Photo credit: Aniqa Rahman.

Find out more about Keisha at @keishajamesvideo and @thebrokegallery on Instagram. Her current project is on Instagram at @wtdtyfilm. You can also read more about the VIBE Arts projects here:
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2019/12/27/vibe-arts-brings-emerging-artists-work-to-ttc-subway-stations.html
https://www.toronto.com/news-story/9781496-vibe-arts-brings-emerging-artists-work-to-ttc-subway-stations/

Competing in a field of 72 teams from six college, Team “A-Block” -- comprised of Nicolas Diaz, Emily Little, Julia Laing, and Chelsea Speck – created an app to address academic integrity. Check out some images of the app here.

The Adobe Creative Jam is a design challenge that asks students to create a visual or motion design concept based on a theme revealed at the event. After three hours and no rules, the teams present their work to the jury in front of a rapt audience. The 2019 Jam drew over 300 students from Sheridan, George Brown, Seneca, OCADU, Algonquin College, and Humber.

Congratulations to all the students who competed, and especially to Team “A-Block”!

The project is part of the Global Affairs Canada division of the Federal Government and aims to highlight the support Consular Services offer to Canadian travellers.

The hackathon event took place in the Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation and started with an introduction to the design challenge and a briefing call with the client where students were provided the information, materials and inspiration they needed to start their projects.

“When a client is involved, the experience is holistic and involves every aspect of working in the field,” says Bianca DiPietro, program coordinator of the Graphic Design program. “The dynamic between client and student is much more professional and holds a certain level of recognition.”

DiPietro and David Neumann, program coordinator of the Web Design and Interactive Media program say the opportunity for their students to work with real-life clients is great exposure—allowing students to communicate effectively, problem solve and work collaboratively with others.

The students gathered in small groups to design a concept while working with their faculty and advisors to complete their project proposals by the end of the day. Faculty will review the submissions and select up to eight concepts based on uniqueness, creativity and execution. The selected submissions will be shared with Global Affairs Canada to consider the concepts further.  

For one group, their concept is a three-dimensional, hollow hemisphere that resembles a globe and features data and information within it. User-friendly to all ages, the globe can be tilted or spun around to allow users to see inside the globe and learn about Consular Services. 

“Projects like this give validation to the program and show trust in us as working professionals by allowing us to have our work showcased and potentially have our work attached to the Government of Canada,” says Gizaham Jones, third-year Graphic Design student.

Using different skills and methods, a Web Design and Interactive Media group’s concept includes movable Plexiglass panels. With infographics and data printed or engraved onto the materials, the installation will allow natural light in airports like Toronto Pearson Airport to reflect onto it. The concept also features QR codes and Near-field communication (NFC) codes, which lead users to find more information on the government’s website using their smartphones.

“Being able to have clients give you an open-ended project to work with is a great way to get your creativity and development moving and apply what we’ve learned so far,” says Paul Cudmore, second-year Web Design and Interactive Media student.

The hackathon is part of Humber’s Data storyLAB, which is an innovative hub for data-driven storytelling. Based out of the North Campus, the storyLAB will produce year-round research and partnership opportunities for student learning and engagement.

“StoryLAB is an opportunity for students to pair with reporters, developers and coders to discuss the influence data can create in different journalistic settings. The lab demonstrates how data can transform and impact politics, social justice, and the day-to-day lives of Canadians,” says DiPietro.

Humber’s storyLAB and The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting recently created a storyLAB Data Journalism Grant to support independent data-driven journalism. 

For the inaugural grant, Humber and The Pulitzer Center are accepting proposals for stories related to Indigenous lands and property rights. The grant will provide up to $10,000 for a freelance journalist or team of journalists to explore a related story from a data-driven perspective.

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This article, by Alysia Burdi, was first published by Humber Today on September 20, 2019. Read the article in it's original context.

David Bezmozgis, co-ordinator of Humber’s creative writing graduate certificate, has been shortlisted for the Giller Prize for Immigrant City, his sophmore short story collection. Bezmozgis is no stranger to Giller nominations; his novels, The Free World and The Betrayers, were shortlisted in 2011 and 2014 respectively. The $100,000 prize will be presented at a gala on November 18.

Nicola Winstanley, co-ordinator of Humber’s Media Foundation program, is a finalist for a 2019 Governor General’s Literary Award in the Young People's Literature – Illustrated Books category. How to Give Your Cat a Bath is the fourth book by the acclaimed children's author. She is a past recipient of both an Ezra Jack Keats Foundation New Writer Award and a Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award nomination. The winners of the Governor General's Literary Awards, valued at $25,000 in each category, will be announced on October 29.

Congratulations, David and Nicola!

For this year's competition, DX invited students studying in all design disciplines to submit proposals that develop creative solutions focussed on the accessible navigation of public spaces. Anushka's winning project was called “Connexus”, and the concept was a set of wearable bracelets for young children or older adults with cognitive impairments. The bracelets helped ensure caregivers were able to monitor the safety and location of their ward and help provide directional support and a feeling of security for the wearer.

Anushka and her team came up with the initial concept during a class project earlier this term, where BDES students hosted an ideation session with Fontys students in March. Anushka then refined this concept as part of her class project, submitted it to the competition and won! She was awarded $1500, and her work will be on display at the Design Exchange.

Congratulations, Anushka, on this stellar achievement.

They created a new brand and digital strategy for Oxford Hack, an annual hackathon that is hosted at the University in the UK. Main deliverables for this project were a new brand identity, social assets, website design, print materials, and promotional items.

It wasn't easy. With the time difference and also other obligations of both the Graphic Design students and the collaborating students in the UK, it was a bumpy road.

Fast forward to December 2018 and the result is an absolutely amazing outcome of such a messy but beautiful collaboration. The students created a beautiful brand, style, and collection of collateral that was used at the Oxford Hack 2018 on Nov 24 & 25 at the University of Oxford.

You can view the students' work on the Oxford Hack website and Facebook page.

The students experienced real-life struggles, design difficulties, and the challenges of working as a group internationally.

A big thank you to Vojtech Havlicek and Klaudia Krawiecka, PhD students at the University of Oxford for their openness to collaborate and provide a meaningful experience for the Graphic Design students at Humber College.

Michael is the winner of the William F. White/Vilmos Zsigmond Cinematography Scholarship for 2018.

This prestigious award is given to a successful full-time post-secondary Canadian student who is currently enrolled in 2nd, 3rd, or 4th year of studies at an accredited College or University Cinematography program.

Paul Bronfman, Whites Chairman and CEO, and Rick Perotto, VP of Business Development, presented Kashuba with the award at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on Sept. 11, 2018 at a gathering of industry professionals.

“Never in my life (this early anyway) did I picture myself speaking in front of the people I read about in Canadian Cinematographer,” says Kashuba. “[These are people] whose work I watch on the big screen, and whose methods and dedication to cinema inspire me everyday.”

They did this at the Radio-TV-Digital News Association (RTDNA) Central Canada meeting on Saturday, April 25 at Humber College, North Campus. The format was like speed-dating  where students spent five minutes with a news director or journalist.

Along with the networking opportunity, students were able to bring along a sample of their TV or radio work on a phone or tablet for some instant feedback and coaching.

The events drew students from Humber College and other broadcasting programs in and around the GTA.

Industry leaders at the event included Paul Rogers, Senior Vice President of CTV, Mike Crawley, CBC reporter, Kym Geddes, News Director at Newstalk 1010 and City News reporter Amanda Ferguson.

Chris is a recent graduate of the Photography program and has been working part-time with the School of Media Studies for the past 2 years. Outside of Humber, Chris continues to work on career development and honing his craft behind the camera. A natural result to his outstanding efforts, Chris’ hard work has been deservedly rewarded.

Snowboard Canada Magazine has been Canada’s premier national snowboard magazine for more than two decades, and has outsold all other snowboard magazines since their launch in 1992.

Chris will also be featuring a collection of his work at his first solo art exhibit “Busy Boarding”, this Saturday, October 13, 2018, and Moguls in Mocean in Orangeville, from 5:30 to 8:30pm. All are welcome to attend.

We are fortunate to have someone like Chris on our team, and we wish him even more success in the future!

The app aimed to provide users with quick, accurate knowledge on their legal rights when confronted by a police officer. However, after the apps initial launch in 2015, Legalswipe soon discovered there were several usability growing pains. Users could not reliably navigate the app in the heat of the moment, and as such, were not fully enticed to use the app.

Legalswipe reached out to Humber for help, and that's where Robert Blair and his students entered the picture. The students took on this Applied Research project and used Humber's state-of-the-art Usablity Lab to redesign the Legalswipe app to be more dynamic and aesthetically appealing. In the end, the students exceeded Legalswipe Co-Founder Christien Levien's expectations. He remarked that the students succeed in making the app more fun and intuitive to use.

The opportunity proved to be an excellent real-world learning experience for the students and a great piece to add to their portfolio. Congrats to the second-year Web Design and Interactive Media students for their hard work and their contributions to making this important app a success.

None of the Above is a second-year documentary by Film & Television Production students, Tassja Graf (Director) and Madeline Ciuffreda (Producer). It is a story about Elliot, a young student living in Toronto who identifies as agender.

The Ahlan Bears can be purchased here.

In Breath of Life she recounts her struggle to survive, the arduous task of waiting for treatment and how she has accepted her new-found role as a champion of organ donation awareness. 

Breath of Life is a second-year documentary from Film & Television Production students Fiona Cleary (Director) and Justin MacDonald (Producer). The film was available on all of Air Canada's in-flight entertainment systems, as part of this year's EnRoute Film Festival. The film was in competition, along with 12 other films, and won Air Canada enRoute Film Festival People’s Choice award.

The film has been awarded the first-ever 'Discovery Award' at the Canadian Screen Awards!

The Ottawa Tibet Film Festival is an emerging festival, with a strong lineup of films. Singing in Diaspora will be screened as part of the festival on March 20, 2016, at the Mayfield Theatre.

These for alumni launched their work for Angle Media Group on the brand new Hennessy book - Shaken and Stirred: Hennessy Crafted Cocktails and Mixed Drinks as part of Angle Media Group! 

As part of Angle Media Group, Andrew and Wale worked on the launch of Canadian Tire's new campaign " How To Videos' with the tag line " Don't Worry... You got this!" Wale worked on the pre-production and Andrew edited all the videos in English and in French. Congratulations on the great work!